Container



April 1939- J. F. MARTTER ET AL 2,153,263

CONTAINER Filed May 11, 1937 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Joseph F. Martter and Perry F. Martter,

Los Angcles, Calif.

Application May 11, 1937, Serial No. 141,908

6 Claims.

This invention relates to containers, such as are formed of sheet metal and used for the storage and distribution of liquids, food products, etc. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a novel container of the type referred to, which may be hermetically sealed and is provided with a simple and effective means-for breaking the seal when the contents are to be discharged.

Containers adapted to be hermetically sealed after filling have been made heretofore invarious forms, and in one form, the container has a light metal head which is cut away by means of a tool when the container is to be emptied. In another form, the container is provided with a cover mounted outside the metal head, and this cover is provided with a pointed barb which is normally held out of contact with the head. When the container is to be opened, the barb is moved into operative position on the cover, and the cover is forced against the head so that the barb will pierce the latter. Thereafter, by rotating the cover, the barb is employed to cut the head free from the body.

In opening both types of container described, considerable physical efiort is required and the opening operation involves a possibility of injury to the person performing it. In addition, with that type of container in which the metal head is cut away by rotating a cover, the head, when severed, may fall into the container, and can usually be removed only with difficulty, particularly if the contents are liquid.

The present invention is directed to the provision of a hermetically sealed container, in which the seal may be quickly and easily broken without the use of the tool and with little physical exertion, and the seal, when ruptured, is prevented from falling into the container.

While the new container may take various forms, it is preferably made with a top having an aperture in which is mounted a neck, the aperture being closed by a seal, which may be in the form of a diaphragm of suitable material, such as sheet metal. The end of the neck is then closed by a cap, which is provided with means by which the seal can be ruptured without being torn entirely free. Normally, the cap is supported in such relation to the seal that the rupturing means on the cap is prevented from contacting with the seal. When the container is to be emptied, the support for the cap is removed, and by a light endwise pressure, the cap may be forced into the neck to break the seal. The shape and dimensions of the parts are such that when the cap is forced entirely into the neck, the seal is ruptured, but not torn entirely free. As a consequence, there is little likelihood of the seal becoming detached and, thereafter interfering with the discharging operation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of one form of the new container;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the manner in which the seal is broken;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the cap;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of one form of the neck and seal;

Figure 5 is a side view of the external collar;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of one form of the neck and seal;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of the container illustrating a further modification of the neck and seal;

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing another form of the neck and seal;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the cap;

Figure 10 is a rear elevation of the cap;

Figure 11 is an end view of the cap taken from the open end; and

Figure 12 is a side elevation of a sleeve used on the new container.

Referring to the drawing, the container shown in Fig. 1 includes a body 20, and an end 2| which is secured to the body by any desirable means,

as by the crimping together of their contacting edges. The end 2| has an aperture in which is mounted a neck 22, which may be of any suitable construction, such as a cylindrical, metal band. The container is closed by a seal 23 secured across the interior of the neck 22, and the seal may be of any form, such as a thin metal diaphragm. In that form of container shown. in Figure 1, the neck 22 is seated upon the seal 23 and connected thereto in any desired manner, as by soldering. The seal 23 is of slightly greater diameter than the neck and the edge of the seal is shaped to provide an upwardly turned flange 23a. This flange is employed to hold the seal and neck in place and for this purpose the material of the end 2| is crimped over the flange as at 23b, thus securing a tight, strong union of the parts.

The outer end of the neck is closed .by a cap 24 made of sheet metal, or the like, and has a tubular sleeve 25 adapted to be received in the end of the neck 22. This sleeve may be of any desired form, but preferably terminates in a point 26 and is provided with cutting edges 26a. A portion of the lower edge of the sleeve is cut away as at 261). The sleeve 25, which is used to pierce the seal, may conveniently be made of a strip of sheet metal bent to cylindrical form. and having its edges crimped together to form a seam 21 in line with the point 26, thus providing a means of stiffening the point.

When the cap 24 is in normal position with the container sealed, the cap is supported in the neck in such manner as to be out of contact with seal 23. held in this position is: shown in Fig. 1, and it consists of a sleeve 28 and a collar 29. The collar, which may be made of any suitable material, such as cardboard, soft metal, etc., rests upon the top of the neck 22, engaging the under surface of flange 30 on the cap 24 and holding the cap in a position in which its point is free of the diaphragm. The collar is made for easy removal and it may be cut entirely through from top-to bottom or it may be provided with a tab 3| and perforation 32 to permit it tobe torn apart and detached. The sleeve 28 encloses the collar 29 and that part of the neck 22 which would otherwise be exposed below the collar, and sleeve 28 is made of paper, Cellophane, or the like. As shown in Fig. 12, the sleeve 28 may be formed of a strip of material of proper width having its ends overlapped and secured together with one of the ends terminating in a removal tab 28a. The sleeve 28 holds collar 29 in place and also keeps the neck of the container in sanitary condition. If desired, however, sleeve 28 may be omitted, in which case collar 29 must be of such a construction that it will not be accidentally detached.

To open the new container, sleeve 28 and collar 29 are successively removed and the cap may then be forced into the neck until the point 26 contacts with the diaphragm. A slight downward pressure on the cap will cause the point to pierce the seal and the cutting edges 26a will sever the diaphragm and force the severed portion downward. The contents may be then removed from the container through the opening in the seal thus provided. The shortest length of the sleeve is, as shown, less than the length of the neck, and consequently, when the cap is forced into the neck as far as possible, the sleeve cannot sever the diaphragm completely, and the latter cannot fall into the container.

A modification in the attachment of the sealed neck to the end of the container is illustrated in Figure 6 and in this form, the neck 22 is provided with an upturned peripheral flange 35, which lies in contact with a similar flange 36 on the seal,

these flanges being held within a crimped bead 31 at the end 2! of the container.

In another form of construction shown in Figure '7, the diaphragm 23 has a peripheral portion secured to a flange 39 on the end 2| of the container, and the neck 22 is secured to the face of the diaphragm, the connections being made in any suitable manner, as by soldering.

In Figure 8, a further modification in the construction of the neck and the seal is shown, in which the diaphragm 23 is crimped in a recess 40 in the wall of the neck 22. This type of con- One means by which the cap may be,

struction may be found useful and convenient where it is desired to form the wall of the neck 22 of the material forming the end of the container. By this construction, the necessity of a soldering operation, or of rolling a bead to join the end 2| and the diaphragm is avoided.

The new container can be securely closed and hermetically sealed, thus assuring protection for the contents and also ease in transportation. The container so sealed may be readily and easily opened without the necessity of using a tool and without any considerable effort, and. since in the opening operation, the seal is not wholly detached, it cannot fall into the container and interfere with the removal of the contents.

We claim:

1. A container comprising a body, an end secured thereto, the end having an aperture, a neck in the aperture, a seal closing the aperture, a cap mounted within the neck and provided with an inwardly projecting sleeve having a cutting edge, the cap being movable in the neck to force said cutting edge through the seal, and a removable collar on the sleeve and engaging the neck for maintaining the cap with the sleeve out of contact with the seal.

2. A container comprising a body, an end secured thereto, the end having an aperture, a neck mounted in the aperture, a seal closing the aperture, a cap mounted within the neck and provided with an inwardly projecting sleeve having a cutting element, the cap being movable in the neck to force said cutting edge through the seal, and easily removable means for maintaining the cap with the sleeve out of contact with the seal.

3. A container comprising a body, an end secured thereto, the end having an aperture, a neck in the aperture, a. seal closing the aperture, a cap mounted within the neck and provided with an inwardly projecting sleeve having a cutting edge for cutting the seal, the cap being movable in the neck to force said cutting edge through the seal, and means strengthening the sleeve.

4. A container comprising a body, an end secured thereto, the end having an aperture, a neck in the aperture, a seal closing the aperture, a cap mounted within the neck, and means on the cap for cutting and piercing the seal and forcing part of it inward, the cap being slidable in the neck toforce said means through the seal.

5. A container comprising a body, an end secured thereto, the end having an aperture, a seal closing the aperture, a neck secured to the face of the seal and extending outwardly from said end, the end being crimped to secure the seal, and a cap for the neck provided with cutting means and movable in the neck to force said means through the seal.

6. In a container, the combination of a tubular neck, a diaphragm attached to the neck to close the latter, a cap for closing the outer end of the neck and provided with means lying within the neck and effective to pierce the diaphragm, and readily removable means interposed between the cap and neck for holding the cap with the piercing means out of contact with the diaphragm.

JOSEPH F. MARTTER. PERRY F. MARTTER. 

